Casually Cruel
by littlehyena
Summary: Two years ago, Hiraoka Shiori moved to New York, leaving behind Kuro Tetsuro. She tried to keep in touch, but he ignored her messages and calls. When she returns things are nothing short of awkward between them. Kuro tries to mend the damage he created and as Shiori slowly lets him back in, he learns of the deep scars haunting his long-time friend. KuroxOC (full details inside)
1. O N E

**Author's Note:** Hello everyone, this will be my one and only disclaimer for this Haikyu. I do not own the original characters of the series, I am only a fan putting my own twist on things. There'd be a lot more Kuro and Bokuto if I owned it, haha! Also the cover image is not mine, credit is given to the original owner. Please forgive any grammatical errors you may come across, I try to catch them, but some slip through. I welcome and encourage all you lovely readers to comment and favorite and follow this work; especially if you love Kuro :)

 **Update Schedule:** A new chapter will be uploaded every Sunday.

 **Story Blurb:** Two years ago, Hiraoka Shiori moved away to New York, leaving behind Kuro Tetsuro. Though she tried to keep in touch, he ignored her messages and calls. Then she shows up again and things are nothing short of awkward between them. Things only get more complicated when Coach Nekomata asks Shiori to help out with the Nekoma High boys Volleyball Club. Kuro tries to mend the damage he created and as Shiori slowly lets him back in, he learns of the deep scars haunting his long-time friend.

 **Warnings:** Language | Mild Abuse | Mild Sexual Content

 **Pairings:** Kuro x OC | Bokuto x Akaashi (hinted)

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 **O N E**

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 _"_ _You don't have to have anything in common with people you've known since you were five. With old friends, you've got your whole life in common."_

 _-Lyle Lovett_

* * *

 **-Kuro Tetsuro-**

Kuro Tetsuro had become accustomed to searching for his childhood friend Kozume Kenma, who had a knack for just wandering off to someplace quiet so he could play his video games. The irony being that Kenma hated when people made a fuss about him, yet he had a tendency to become the center of attention when everyone would go looking for him. But on this particular day, Kuro was on his own to find Kenma. They were supposed to meet the others in half an hour at the park to play a game with the Bokuto and Akaashi of Fukurodani. With that thought popping into his mind, Kuro began to wonder if Kenma hadn't just gone back home. Despite not hating or loving volleyball, Kenma hated getting tired. And with someone like Bokuto around exhaustion and the possibility of losing limbs would potentially occur.

The mid-afternoon sunlight gleamed off the storefronts. Kuro weaved through the crowded sidewalk with ease. People chattered on their phones or with their friends as they passed him by. He apologized to an elderly couple as he brushed shoulders with them. A block down there was a small side street with a video game shop that Kenma would certainly be hiding away in.

Cars and city busses rolled along down the road when the traffic light changed. People stopped, clustering on the street corner awaiting their turn to move. Kuro pushed through and ambled over to the small side street. Unlike the main streets of Tokyo, this area was more open. He strolled down the brick street, his eyes drifting from the many signs hanging over the shop and restaurant entrances. A string of paper lanterns zigzagged from one end of the street to the other, which opened up to a business park where many would have their lunch after being trapped in their cubicles all morning.

Halfway down, Kuro spotted the shop—Gamer House—and if he didn't find Kenma inside the Pudding Head must have headed home. Kuro grabbed the metal door handle and pulled it open. Some bells jingled from overhead and a lazy 'welcome' came from the check-out counter on the right-hand side of the shop. The man behind the counter was burly and reading a magazine.

The walls were lined with little shelves with games and consoles along with some collectibles of popular game characters and superheroes. Kuro walked down an aisle, the stands on either side of him overflowing with manga, magazines, and game guides. He reached the end and looked left then right. To his right, a couple of guys were watching a TV, showing some sort of trailer for a new game. He turned on his heels, making his way down to the left. A couple more aisles of video games and movies, then he hit the far side of the shop, catching a glimpse of red. In the far back corner, Kenma sat on a folding table with his gym bag on the floor beside.

Kuro opened his mouth to speak but stopped when he realized Kenma was talking to someone and actually seemed invested in said conversation as his game console was resting on his lap and his golden eyes were staring straight ahead. It could have been he was talking to someone about a new game, that always got his full and undivided attention if they weren't on the court.

"Well, you haven't changed at all. Have you, Kenma-kun?" The voice was female. Familiar, too.

"I wanted to quit volleyball last year, but Kuro talked me out of it." Kenma shrugged. "It was hard then, but it's better now."

"I'm glad you stuck it out," the girl said with a giggle. "And even if you quit, I bet Tetsu-kun would've harped on you about it every single day."

 _Tetsu-kun? No, it can't be…_ Kuro blinked. He had only known one person in his entire life to call him Tetsu-kun. A lump formed in his throat. It had been two long years since he'd seen her—Hiraoka Shiori. And when she left, he had been upset that she was leaving, so he didn't say goodbye and he never kept in contact. Guilt roiled in his gut as he gazed at Kenma, wanting to walk forward, but for some reason, he couldn't get his legs to cooperate with him.

"He probably would have," Kenma said, then glanced in Kuro's direction. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Kuro?"

 _Crap._ Kuro hadn't mentally prepared what to say to Shiori. Should he pretend nothing had happened? She'd basically abandoned them…well, that wasn't entirely true she went to go live with her mother in New York because her father wasn't exactly the best caretaker in the world. Regardless, Kuro hadn't anticipated her return. She hadn't called or emailed or anything, but that might have been his fault for never reaching out in the first place. It would be a lie to say she hadn't tried to contact him. In fact, Shiori emailed him a dozen times, texted, and even called for the first two months. And like the asshole he was, he ignored each one until they stopped.

"My, my," Shiori said with a small smile as she came around from the display of video games. "Kuro Tetsuro, look how you've grown."

 _Whoa!_ Kuro believed his eyes to be playing tricks on him because the girl before him most certainly couldn't be Hiraoka Shiori. Everything he remembered of her was a distant memory, but at least her vibrant green eyes remained. The girl…no, he couldn't justifiably call her 'girl' anymore…Shiori was a young woman and man had she grown into herself. The once lanky, knobby-kneed girl with sharp elbows and plank board figure had transformed into a leggy brunette with an above average-sized breast and a charming smile. The gap in her teeth was gone, the boyish haircut was gone, the almost unibrow was gone, and the tacky sweaters and high-water jeans were gone too.

"You remember right?" Shiori asked as Kuro gaped.

Kenma hopped down from the table. "She saw me coming into the store. I had no idea she was back either."

Kuro didn't look at Kenma because he couldn't seem to stop gawking at Shiori. _That can't be her. I don't believe it._

It wasn't that he didn't believe Shiori could be pretty. He always thought she was cute in her tomboy like way. While most of the other girls in grade school and junior high cared about their fashion and eventually make-up; Shiori never did. She was the type of girl who would fall in the mud and then start a mud ball fight. When most girls would shriek at the sight of a spider Shiori would try to pick it up and rescue it from being squashed. The girl before him didn't seem like the girl he knew at all. And he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"Kuro it's rude to stare," Kenma chided as he picked up his gym bag and slung it onto his shoulder. He stuffed his handheld console into his Nekoma sports jacket. "You should at least say 'hello'."

Shiori looked away, biting her glossy bottom lip. She brushed her long chocolate locks over her slender shoulder. "It was good to see you again, Kenma-kun."

"You too, Shiori." He bowed his head to her and walked toward Kuro. "Are you going to say anything?"

"Hi," Kuro breathed, his eyes fixed on Shiori.

She tilted her head. "Hi."

Kuro's phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked away from Shiori and plucked it out. Three text messages and two missed calls—all of which were from that Horned-Owl Bastard. He shut off his phone, avoided Shiori's gaze and turned to Kenma. "The others are waiting, we better hurry."

"Okay," Kenma said and glanced toward Shiori as she picked at the lacy material of her blouse sleeve. "See you soon?"

Shiori stopped fiddling with her shirt and clasped her hands behind her back. "I would like that, Kenma-kun."

"You still have our numbers right?" he asked.

"Yours." Shiori pointed to Kenma and avoided all eye contact with Kuro. "It would seem his, is no longer correct."

Kuro pressed his lips together. He wanted to apologize, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. For some reason, he was overwhelmed. Inundated by his shock and emotions. And that rarely happened. On the one hand, he wanted to welcome her home and apologize for being an ass to her for so long. Then, on the other hand, he wanted to run away and never look back. The suppressed feelings of his childhood crush just came hurtling full speed at him.

"I see," Kenma said, eyeing Kuro.

"It's no big deal," Shiori said, waving the matter off. "Take care." She took off before Kuro ever had the chance to say anything else. Her baby-blue skirt swayed against her knees as she walked around them, darting out of the store like it were on fire or something.

Kuro stared in the direction she had gone and bit the inside of his cheek. He got flustered and tongue-tied. It wasn't like him at all.

"You should have apologized for being mean to her." Kenma wandered toward the front door.

"I wanted too."

"Then why didn't you?" Kenma turned on his heels and walked backward, pressing his back against the door. When it opened, he remained pushed against it until Kuro came out.

"I don't know." Kuro looked around for the girl in the white blouse and baby blue skirt, but she was long gone and engulfed in the sea of people flooding the street. He rubbed the back of his neck and turned in the direction of the park. "Have you been keeping in contact with her? Did you know she was coming back to Japan?"

Kenma played a game on his phone. "We emailed a few times a month. She'd mentioned coming back to Japan, but not when."

"I had no idea."

"Why'd you stop talking to her?"

Kuro stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "No real reason."

Kenma looked up from his game and frowned. "Really?"

"All right," Kuro said with a huff. "I was mad at her for leaving."

"You know she didn't have a choice." He returned to his game when they stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. "It's not like she left for no reason."

Kuro clenched his fist. He knew that. He even knew it back then, but he couldn't help it. Shiori and he met when they were toddlers. They played at the same park, lived across the street from one another, their mothers were friends, then things got complicated. Her parents divorced and her mom moved to New York, but Shiori stayed in Japan with her father as her whole life was in Tokyo. She never cried about it at school, but she did to Kuro and Kenma. She would tell them how much she missed her mom and how she wanted to go live with her. Then in junior high, she left.

"Are you going to talk to her again, now that she's back?"

Kuro looked at Kenma. "Maybe."

"You should. It would be nice for all of us to be together again."

"Yeah," Kuro said with a small smile. "It would be, huh?"


	2. T W O

**Author's Note:** Hello, hello! I didn't plan on updating again, but I figured why not :) especially since I received a couple of comments. Many thanks to jungkookies and enchanted-nova for your kind comments, I hope to hear from you both again. Reviews/comments/favorites inspire me to post sooner than planned. Anyways, this chapter is heavily focused on Shiori. The upcoming chapters will include more Nekoma Volleyball Team members. Until next time everyone, thanks for reading!

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 **T W O**

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 _"I believe that all of our lives we're looking for home and if we're really lucky, we find it in someone's loving arms. I think that's what life is—coming home."_

 _-Anita Krizzan_

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 **-Hiraoka Shiori-**

When Shiori thought about it or said it out loud, two years didn't seem like a long time. In reality, though it was a lifetime. Coming back to Japan was supposed to be easy. Well, for the most part, it had been—until she saw Kuro Tetsuro again. Deep down, she was so excited to see him. He'd grown so tall, but his bed-head rooster hair-do was still the same as it had been when they were young. Shiori stifled a laugh. They were still young; who was she kidding? Just because she was gone for two years didn't mean they'd magically become older and wiser.

Boxes containing her belongings from New York were piled up at the foot of her bed and on her small desk tucked into the corner below the window. She'd arrived back in Tokyo three days ago, her father met her at the airport. He had looked nervous when she came down the stairs with her suitcase and backpack. The last time they had seen each other was the day she walked out of the house without a word. Back then, her father was in an ugly downward spiral and Shiori couldn't watch him destroy his life. Her leaving him seemed to wake him up, though. Of course, things still felt a bit weird, but not as weird as when she'd run into Tetsuro earlier. At least Kenma was the same. That was relieving.

The home she'd grown up in was different too, or well, her dad moved out of it. When they'd arrived, she'd asked what made him decide to move. He explained he wanted a new fresh start. The new house was nice. She didn't mind it in the least. The walls were an off-white color almost a soft wispy blue in the natural light of the late afternoon sun. Her dad would be home soon, which meant she needed to get working on dinner. At first, she planned on finishing unpacking the last three boxes, but when she'd gotten home after seeing Tetsuro all she did was lay on her bed and stare up at the ceiling.

Shiori tapped her cheeks and got up from the bed. Kenma and Tetsuro both attended Nekoma High School, which was where she would be going. It was bad enough the new school year had started two weeks ago, so she'd really stick out amongst the crowd for being a late starter. Then again, Tetsuro was older than her, so they wouldn't share any classes. If she were lucky she'd be in Kenma's class. She had intended on asking him at the Gamer House, but Tetsuro showed up before she had the opportunity.

The house was rather empty. Her father had claimed he wanted to pick some furniture out with her as it would be their home and not just his. It was just his way of trying to spend time with Shiori, after all during her absence from Japan she hadn't spoken to him until a few months ago. Deciding to come back wasn't an easy decision, but her mom was always away on so many business trips that Shiori was always alone. Reluctantly, she agreed to come back, knowing her dad had really tried to change and had been doing well for the past year.

Shiori dug through the cupboards looking for some bowls and a cutting board. She laid the materials out on the counter and took out some vegetables from the refrigerator. As she started cutting up the onions and bell peppers for the stir fry, her mind wandered back to the day her dad fell apart.

* * *

 **-Interlude-**

"Dad," a fourteen-year-old Shiori said as she walked into the house. She kicked off her shoes and pushed them aside. Glass shattered. Shiori raced down the narrow hallway to the back of the house where the kitchen and dining area were. Her eyes widened, seeing her dad on his knees, blood staining the sleeve of his shirt and several picture frames scattered on the floor.

"She just left us." Her father's hair hung in his eyes.

"Dad?" Shiori trembled.

Three empty bottles of liquor lay in the mix of broken frames and the sea of glass. Before she left for school, her dad had seemed perfectly fine. It was the first anniversary of her mom leaving them. Every day, her dad hadn't looked broken—he would smile and promised her he was okay. Not once did she witness him cry over her mom. Sure he had been a bit distance sometimes and a little cold, but nothing like this.

"I hate her," he seethed and then looked up at Shiori.

"Don't say that, Dad." She shook her head, remaining in the threshold. She wanted to go hug him and clean his wound, but if she wasn't careful she could hurt herself or get him hurt even further. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay."

His eyes were bloodshot and his skin ghostly pale. He clenched his fist and glared at Shiori, who stared back at him in worry and fear. Not once had she seen him look so furious and hateful. He scoffed and shook his head. "You look just like the bitch."

Shiori gasped, placing a hand on her chest. At that moment, she realized he was grieving and drunk at the same time. But that didn't make it any easier to hear. What was she supposed to do? Her hand drifted toward the side pouch of her bag. She would call Tetsuro, he would be able to help her.

"The fuck are you doing?" her dad snapped, staggering to his feet.

Shiori froze, not wanting to trigger him.

"You gonna leave too? Huh! Is that it? Why do you have your bag?" He pointed, his words slurred and jumbled.

Tears pricked at her eyes. "Daddy."

He stepped forward and fell into the glass, cursing with undeniable fury and rage. "This is what you wanted! Just admit it!"

"Dad. Please, stop!" The tears spilled down her face as her dad climbed to his feet.

Blood dripped on the ground. He walked barefoot over the glass and photographs. The cracking and crunching sounded like thunder to her. In his hand, he held several shards and threw them at her.

Shiori screamed as the glass struck her body but thankfully there was no damage. Streaks of blood stained her school uniform. "Don't, Dad!"

"You wanna leave! Then leave! I don't need you." He stumbled forward.

Shiori scrambled back, bumping into the wall behind her. She darted for the front door, her dad yelling and screaming as she left. When she got outside, she pulled the door close and fell against it, sliding down to the floor. Tears burned her cheeks as they rolled down, dripping from her chin and onto her skirt. Staying with him was out of the question, he was too volatile. Taking a deep breath, Shiori reached for her phone to call the police. Her dad would bleed to death if she didn't get help soon.

#

Shiori sat in the waiting room of the hospital. The doctors had told her that her dad would be okay, they were going to stitch him up and get him sober before releasing him. Police had taken her statement, and for some reason, she lied to them. Instead of telling them he threw glass at her and yelled at her, she claimed to have found him drunk and bleeding. Why? She wasn't sure, but either way, she hoped someone would be able to get him help.

Her eyes gazed at the linoleum white floor. The waiting area smelled like stale coffee and antiseptic. A nurse walked over to her, holding a paper cup of water. She took a seat beside Shiori, gently shaking the cup for Shiori to take. When she did, she muttered a 'thanks' and took a small sip.

"Do you have someone to call and keep you company?" the nurse asked in a gentle and soothing voice. A voice a mother would use to comfort a distraught child.

"Um, yes." Shiori croaked.

"Do you need a phone?"

"No." Shiori shook her head and placed the cup on the small coffee table in front of her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. The nurse smiled, placing a hand on Shiori's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze before walking away. There was no point in calling her mom. In fact, Shiori only had two people to call—Tetsuro and Kenma. Her grandparents had passed away a few years ago, she didn't know her uncle or aunt…

Her fingers blanched as she gripped her phone tightly. How would she even explain the situation to her friends? Maybe that didn't really matter. Their presence alone would be enough to calm her down. She decided to call Tetsuro first, knowing he was probably hanging out at Kenma's house anyway.

The phone rang twice, but on the third ring, Tetsuro answered, "What's up, Shio-chan?"

Hearing his voice made her smile, but the sting of the tears came back. "Tetsu-kun…"

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" He must have heard the waver in her voice. Anytime she called him, she was always so bubbly.

"C-can…you come get me?" Shiori tried her best to not let her voice crack, but it was futile.

"Where are you?"

She could hear him yelling for Kenma and running down the stairs. He must have been in Kenma's room—playing video games or flipping through a sports magazine. Shiori sniffled. "Tokyo Medical."

"What?" Tetsuro asked, worry evident in his voice. "Why are you there?"

"I'll explain later. Please, just come."

"Okay, we're coming. Hang on."

"Thank you."

* * *

 **-Hiraoka Shiori-**

Shiori finished setting the table when the front door opened and her dad announced he was home. She turned around when she heard his approaching footsteps and the clatter of his keys dropping into the glass bowl in the hallway beside the stairwell. Her dad had been in recovery for a year an a half, and had done well for himself since getting his life together. And she reminded herself everyone handled grief differently.

"Smells delicious, Shiori-chan," her dad said as he walked into the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"It was okay. I reacquainted myself with the area." She remained near the small four-seater table, the food and drinks already laid out. "How was yours?"

"Good, but I must admit, it's really nice to come home to a home-cooked meal." He smiled at her, rubbing the back of his neck. Things were still awkward between them, but they were trying. "Shall we?"

"Yes, please." Shiori gestured to the table, taking a seat on the right while he took the one on the left. "Let's eat."

They ate quietly and avoided eye contact. When Shiori agreed to come back, she knew it would be difficult, but not like this. Even though they were in a new house, and they agreed to a fresh start and apologies and forgiveness had been given…Shiori still felt the shadows looming over her. What she went through after her dad broke down was the hardest two months of her life. Regardless of turning over a new leaf, her wounds still hadn't healed.

Her dad put his chopsticks down. "So are you excited to go back to school? Those two boys you were friends with before both attend Nekoma High School. I see them from time to time in their sports gear."

"A little, but I'm more nervous than anything." Shiori took a small bite of food.

"Don't be nervous. I'm sure everything will be fine, and I bet those boys will be happy that you're back. I certainly am."

Shiori lifted her gaze to meet her dad's. They had the same eyes. Everything about her looked like her mom, but she had inherited her dad's big green eyes. And while looking into them, she couldn't bring herself to mention running into Tetsuro and Kenma. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."


	3. T H R E E

**Author's Note:** Hey readers! Thanks for coming back to read further and special thanks go out to enchanted-nova and xXKurooXx for commenting. It's always nice to get feedback :) Be sure to leave a review to tell me what you think and be sure to follow this story. Until the next update, happy reading everyone! You rock! P.S. I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors.

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 **THREE**

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 _"Encourage everyone you meet with a smile or compliment. Make them feel better when you leave their presence and they will always be glad to see you coming."_

 _-Joyce Meyer_

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 **-Yamamoto Taketora-**

Tora stared out the window of the classroom as their history teacher, Hiwatari-sensei, wrote something on the board. He should have been taking notes or something, but his mind was occupied with the volleyball club. Being a second year was a good place to be, but he worried about what would happen when his seniors were gone. Last year, the team wasn't terrible by any means, but this year he had a feeling in his gut they'd make it far. Truth be told, he wanted to go all the way to nationals with their current team and with Coach Nekomata. He was getting up there in age, despite claiming he would stick around until he was dead. The thought made Tora smirk.

What the team really needed was a manager to help their coaches. Coach Nekomata had a great sense and good eyes, even Coach Naoi had the team in good shape, but a manager would help. In fact, Tora believed it would boost the morale. It'd certainly boost his. A pretty girl handing out towels and water bottles and snacks. Yeah, they needed one. Tora sighed dejectedly. Last year all the teams they went up against and trained with had pretty managers, some even had two. Why couldn't Nekoma have one? He slouched in his seat, twirling his pencil between his fingers while still staring out the window.

The other members of the team didn't seem to care about not having a manager. Even in the other sports clubs, they all had managers. Tora put his pencil down and ran his fingers through his hair. He was going to make it his mission to get a manager. The real problem was finding the right girl and then being able to actually approach her. Whenever it came to girls, Tora had zero confidence to actually speak to them.

A knock on the classroom door, got Hiwatari-sensei to stop droning on about some battle some hundred years ago. Everyone's attention went to the door as the principal announced his entrance and apologized for disrupting the class. Hiwatari-sensei shook his head and asked the principal to step inside.

"Thank you, Hiwatari-sensei," Principal Katagiri said and gestured toward the door. "A new student will be joining your class today. I expect all of you to welcome her."

 _Her?_ Tora tilted his head. A new student. A female one at that. It was like his prayers were being answered. Then she walked in. Pretty wasn't the right word to describe her. The new girl was beautiful. Tora sank into his seat, knowing there was no way he'd be able to muster up the courage to speak to her.

"Hello, I'm Hiraoka Shiori. I look forward to meeting all of you." She bowed, her long brown hair fell over her shoulder. When she straightened, she flashed a charming smile and Tora just about fell out of his chair. "Thank you for having me."

The whole class chorused a welcome to the new girl. Except Tora, who was enamored by her presence. His eyes drifted toward the empty seat beside him—the only empty seat in the classroom. Blood rushed to his cheeks. Shiori would be sitting next to him for the rest of the school year. His hands got clammy, so he quickly wiped them on his pants. He told himself to breathe and stay calm. And while giving himself a little pep-talk Principal Katagiri had left and Hiwatari-sensei had asked Shiori to have a seat beside Tora.

"Yamamoto!" Hiwatari-sensei barked.

"Sir!" Tora yipped, shooting up from his seat.

"Good grief," Hiwatari-sensei sighed and shook his head before smiling at Shiori. "You make take the empty seat beside him, Hiraoka-san."

"Sure." Shiori smiled and walked toward the back of the classroom to sit beside Tora, who felt like he was baking.

 _Stay calm. Be cool. Don't make a fool out of yourself. Breathe!_ Tora sat down stiffly, his back ramrod straight and eyes forward. The scent of her hair wafted into his nose: vanilla and lavender. He snuck a glance at her as she pulled out her chair and sat down, digging through her bag. She pulled out a notebook and pen, laying them flat on the desk. Tora pressed his lips together in a tight line, peaking at her every few seconds.

"Nice to meet you, Yamamoto-kun." Shiori's green eyes were bright and glossy, her lips curved into a warm smile. There was no better way to describe her aside from radiant.

Tora wanted to welcome her and greet her, but despite his brain telling him to respond all he could bring himself to say was, "yes!"

Shiori's eyes widened then she giggled.

"Yamamoto! You should be taking notes. Please pay attention," Hiwatari-sensei scolded, placing his hands on his hips. "If sitting next to Hiraoka-san is an issue, I can change the seating arrangements."

"No, no. I'm sorry." Tora sank low into his seat, all eyes on him.

"All right then, let's continue." Hiwatari-sensei nodded and turned back to the board writing names of some important figures.

"Sorry, didn't mean to get you in trouble," Shiori whispered to him.

Tora's cheeks heated. His ears too. "It's okay."

She tilted her head in a cute manner that forced Tora to look away otherwise he'd possible combust.

#

When lunch hour finally rolled around, Tora raced off to find his teammates and inform them of the lovely and beautiful Hiraoka Shiori. What he should have done is stayed and spoken to her, but he chickened out. He assumed he could get one of the other members of the team to approach and ask if she'd be interested in joining as a manager. Perhaps he could get Kuro to do it, after all, many girls fawned over him and unlike Tora, he had no problems talking to them.

He reached the rooftop where the volleyball team always hung out together. Barreling through the door, Tora scrambled over to the team, who were chatting and eating their lunch happily. The members all looked at him as he skidded to a halt next to them panting like mad.

"What's got you all riled up?" Yaku Morisuke, the team's libero, asked as he unscrewed the cap to his sports drink. He sat cross-legged on the floor with his bento box before him, overflowing with a vegetable stir-fry.

"Girl. Manager. New!" Tora choked out. He placed his hands on his knees, hunching over to catch his breath.

Inuoka So, a first year middle blocker, titled his head with his brown eyes filled with confusion. "What?"

Beside the first year was Kenma, who was playing his game. He didn't look the slightest bit phased by Tora's announcement, then again it wasn't clear what he was trying to tell him. Haiba Lev, another first year—a freakishly tall one at that—peered up at Tora, munching on his onigiri.

"There's a new girl! In my class. And, and she's…well, she's…beautiful! We have to ask her to be the manager of our team! Please!" Tora clasped his hands together.

"Take a breath," Yaku replied as he took a bite of his food.

Kenma stopped playing his game for a moment, looking up at Tora with a hint of interest on his face. "What's her name?"

Tora raised an eyebrow. "Uh…Hiraoka Shiori."

Without a word, Kenma got up leaving his belongings and his game console. Everyone stared in awe. That last thing anyone expected. Not that they didn't think Kenma was opposed to girls, but he usually couldn't be bothered to take interest in much of anything. When he was out of sight, Tora looked back at the other three.

"You think he knows her?" Inuoka asked as he unwrapped a sandwich.

Tora shrugged. "She came from New York."

"In America?" Lev asked with a full mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full! Have some manners," Yaku scolded the white-haired first year. "And if you want her to be the manager, Yamamoto, you should ask her yourself."

Tora bite the inside of his cheek, looking away with a flush on his cheeks. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Lev inquired before stuffing more food into his mouth. "Just ask."

"Lev!" Yaku hissed with a shake of his head. "You're the one who wants a manager so bad, so take it upon yourself to do it."

The door to the rooftop creaked open, revealing three additional members of the Nekoma Boy's Volleyball team: Fukunaga Shoei, a second year wing spiker; Kai Nobuyuki, a third year and the vice-captain of the team; and finally, Kuro Tetsuro, the team's third year middle blocker and captain.

"Where's Kenma?" Kuro inquired, nodding toward the setter's belongings beside Lev.

"He ran off when Yamamoto-san mentioned asking a new student to be our team's manager," Inuoka explained as Kuro took a seat beside him.

"We already told you if you want a manager then ask someone." Kai clapped Tora on the shoulder and sat down across from the other members of the team. "You don't need our permission."

"It's not permission he's looking for," Yaku chimed in, glancing at Tora, who pursed his lips and looked away. "He wants one of us to ask cause he's too chicken to ask himself."

"Why do we even need a manager?" Lev asked with his mouth not full for once. "Coach Nekomata and Coach Naoi seem to have everything under control."

"He just wants a pretty girl to stare at," Fukunaga said.

Tora snorted. "You can't tell me you wouldn't want a lady manager to hand you a towel or water bottle and cheer you on during practices and games."

"Sure," Kuro said with a chuckle. "We're fine with it, but we made it your job to find someone."

"I did!"

"Oh?" Kuro raised an eyebrow.

"I just haven't gotten around to asking her yet." Tora rubbed the back of his neck. Obviously, his team wasn't going to help him out, but he sort of expected that. He also still needed to find out if Shiori even knew anything about volleyball. Not that it was a requirement, the team would surely help if she was a newbie. Then he started to wonder if maybe she didn't like volleyball. Or what if she was planning on joining another club? He would have to ask her soon otherwise he could miss the opportunity.

"So who is this newcomer you think would be a great manager for us?" Kuro asked.

Tora sat down beside Kai. "Her name's Hiraoka Shiori."

Kuro's eyes widened at the mention of her name. He turned his attention to his bento box while the others probed Tora for more information. None of them seemed to notice the dramatic change in Kuro, who was usually always game for teasing and provoking. Then Kenma had ran off at the mention of the girl's name. Tora knew Kuro and Kenma had been friends since they were in grade school—did they both know her somehow?


	4. F O U R

**Author's Note:** Hi readers! Thank you everyone for reading :) Please review.

* * *

 **F O U R**

* * *

 _"When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: admit it, learn from it, and don't repeat it."_

 _-Paul Bear Bryant_

* * *

 **-Kuro Tetsuro-**

Kuro assumed it would be a possibility that Shiori would attend Nekoma High School, after all, her father still worked and lived in the area. Why wouldn't she go to Nekoma? School was over for the day and practice was starting in the next ten minutes, but he went to the front of the school to search for Shiori. He wanted to see her with his own eyes. It had to be her though, the way Yamamoto had described her during lunch sounded exactly like Shiori.

At the front of the school, clusters of students were changing their shoes and heading toward the front gates or grabbing their bicycles. Kuro leaned against a support beam, scanning the entire area for her. The bell had just rung less than five minutes ago, she couldn't have already left. He licked his lips and shook his head. What did it truly matter if she was there in front of him? He didn't even know what to say to her or worse he may not have said anything again like he had a couple of days ago.

Maybe they could start over? He'd probably have to apologize for that to happen. And would do it, after all, it was the right thing to do. Kenma hit the nail on the head before. She didn't leave without reason; she had a good one. Her father's alcoholism got out of control and it wasn't safe for her to live with him. It was just unfortunate that Shiori's mom lived on the other side of the world. Regardless of that, Shiori could have gone to live with her aunt and uncle in Shimabara, at least then they could have seen each other during breaks.

The crowd of students cleared out, but Shiori never showed. Kuro sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. At least now he had a little more time to figure out what to say. When he apologized, he wanted it to be right. Kuro pushed off the post and made his way across the school to the gymnasium.

If Shiori had gone to live with her aunt and uncle in Shimabara, he wondered how different things would have been. Even though it was still in Japan, the trip from Tokyo down to there was almost sixteen hours. At that kind of distance, she may as well have lived on the other side of the world. He shook his head, dragging his feet along. Kuro would have gone to visit her. She was one of his best friends and he cared about her a lot. He had a funny way of showing it though by ignoring her for two whole years. Deep down, it wasn't just the fact that he was angry at her—he was hurt.

"It's unlike you to be late," Kenma said, pulling Kuro out of his thoughts.

"Got distracted is all," Kuro replied and smiled as he walked into the changing room. "Be out there in a minute."

"You heard, didn't you?"

Kuro stuffed his bag into his locker, avoiding Kenma's eyes. "Yeah."

Kenma didn't say anything else, he simply left Kuro alone in the changing room.

After Kuro got dressed, he ambled over to the gym. The sharp chirps of the coaches whistles ringing in the large building. Volleyballs being spiked and slamming on the ground echoed from the open doors. Kuro took off his school shoes and slipped on his gym shoes before stepping onto the polished floor.

Kenma stood by the net with Lev, who was asking him for some tosses. And as expected, Kenma sighed and looked dejected. Lev had an innate talent, but he was also all over the place. The coaches saw potential in him and told the team to help him as much as they possibly could. They complied with the request, but Kenma had grown frustrated after the last few practices.

Yaku over to Kenma's side and glared at Lev. "You need to work on your receives more than your spikes. Let's go."

"But to be the ace I need to work on my spikes!" Lev threw his long, lanky arms into the air.

Yaku scowled. "How can you be an ace if you can't receive a single ball correctly?"

"But Yaku-san!"

"If you can get five successful receives I'll leave you alone."

Lev opened his mouth, but then closed it and nodded. Kenma had made his escape by that point, heading off to the other side of the court and hiding behind some of the first years who were just chattering about. That's when Kuro noticed the coaches weren't even around.

"Hey! Start practicing some dives!" Kai shouted at the first years. "One lap around the court, let's go!"

Kuro nodded as he crossed the court to join Kai. "Where are the coaches?"

Kai nodded toward the back entrance of the gym. Tora and Inuoka were both trying to peek outside. Kuro walked over quietly and stood behind the two, who were eavesdropping on the coaches. He reached for the collars of their shirts and yanked them back.

"Kuro-san!" Tora and Inuoka exclaimed at the same time when he shoved them toward the rest of the practicing team members.

"What the hell are you two doing?" Kuro placed a hand on his hip and tilted his head.

"Yamamoto-san brought the new girl here," Inuoka replied.

"What?" Kuro's brow furrowed. Chest tightening.

"She asked me if I could take her to Coach Nekomata after class. So I did and they're out there talking." Tora pointed to the door, his face a bright red.

Kuro looked across the court to Kenma, who stood by some of the baskets of volleyballs. At lunch, Kenma must have spoken to Shiori about joining the team. Or maybe Shiori had come to the decision on her own. When they were younger she always liked to play with them and she would watch matches with Kuro all the time. All that aside, Kuro never expected her to ask to join the team.

"Captain? You okay?" Inuoka asked with a slight frown.

Kuro nodded and waved for them to join the others. The second they ran off the door came open and Coach Nekomata entered with Coach Naoi close behind and finally, Shiori walked in. She stopped the second her eyes landed on him. When she looked away, she brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Ah, Kuro," Coach Nekomata said with a bright smile, which made him appear younger than he actually was. "This young lady has offered to be the team's manager. Maybe now, Yamamoto will focus, eh?" The old timer laughed and wandered over to his chair near the net.

"He'll probably be more unfocused," Coach Naoi muttered then smiled at Shiori. "So would you like to stay today to get an idea of how things work or would you prefer to start tomorrow officially, Hiraoka-san?"

Kuro stared at Shiori. He was torn on what he wanted, but his wants didn't matter. She must have felt him staring because she looked at him. A fire blazed in her eyes; whether it was a good or bad thing remained to be seen. When she looked at Coach Naoi she smiled, saying she would be happy to stay and observe the practice to acquaint herself with the facility and the members.

"Great," Coach Naoi said and placed a hand on Kuro's shoulder. "Why don't you make the announcement to the team that Hiraoka-san is to be our new manager?"

Kuro's stomach tied into several knots. It was like everyone knew about his and Shiori's estranged friendship and were trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible. He wanted to protest. Then he looked at Shiori, who walked away without saying a word. Kuro and Coach Naoi both gave her quizzical stares as she approached the cluster of volleyball players preparing to work on their blocks.

"Excuse me, if I can just interrupt for a moment!" Shiori announced as she climbed on the stand at the net.

"Or she can introduce herself," Coach Naoi chuckled.

"My name is Hiraoka Shiori and I will be the new manager for the team. I look forward to working with you!" Shiori gave a small bow and when she straightened she smiled at everyone.

* * *

 **-Kozume Kenma-**

Kuro was dragging his feet in the changing room not that Kenma minded as he was in the middle of an important level of his game. His fingers mashed down on the buttons his eyes darting to his health and stamina bars. The enemy struck his character twice and game over flashed on the screen. Kenma scowled and gazed up at the awning he sat under.

"You guys have a good team." Shiori stood in front of him, holding onto her bag. "Haiba-san will become a good player in time. Yaku-san is an impressive libero, and Yamamoto-san seems very passionate."

Kenma looked up from his game and nodded. "I think we're strong."

"Maybe it'll be like old times."

"That would be nice." Kenma smiled.

The door to the changing room opened and Yamamoto and Yaku came out with Lev following them. The newbie bombarded them with questions about volleyball and becoming the ace of the team. Yamamoto snarled, claiming he was the ace of the team and Lev could never be unless he got better at receiving and blocking. Yaku didn't respond to either, his eyes glanced over at Kenma and Shiori.

"Hiraoka-san, you're brave to come and join the team after just coming to Nekoma," Yaku said, walking over to her. "Do you know anything about volleyball?"

Kenma wanted to defend Shiori and explain that she used to help him and Kuro back when they were in junior high. In a way, Shiori was a perfect person to help the team improve. Her eyes never missed things. She may have even been quicker in catching people's quirks and habits than Kenma as she got to watch the whole court. Not only would she see opponents she would see the teams play style.

"She knows plenty about volleyball," Kuro stated from behind the group. "Shiori used to be the manager of mine and Kenma's volleyball team in junior high."

Yaku's eyes widened and he bowed his head to her. "I see. Well then, I'm definitely more excited to work with you, Hiraoka-san."

Lev started asking Shiori if she could help him while Yaku scolded Lev for not talking help from his seniors that have been trying to help him. Meanwhile, Yamamoto blushed as he nervously stared at Shiori, twiddling his thumbs. Kenma turned his attention to Kuro, who remained with the group but didn't say anything more.

Kenma had known Kuro for a long time, seeing him silent and not provoking people wasn't normal. Had the return of Shiori really impacted him so much? Then again, Shiori didn't seem to really be talking to Kuro either. She had hardly glanced his way since the start of practice. It stressed Kenma out! Before things had gotten bad with her father, Shiori and Kuro chatted nonstop. And it wasn't always about volleyball. In fact, they would talk about everything and anything that caught their interest. Kenma wanted it to be like that again. Things took time, of course, so he would have to be patient. One of them would crack first and try to mend things.

"Why don't you come with us to get some snacks at the convenience store down the street?" Lev suggested when they reached the front entrance of the school.

"Oh, I have a lot of assignments that I need to work on and have done by the end of the week," Shiori explained with a wave of her hand. "I better not, but thank you for inviting me."

"Too bad, but we'll see you tomorrow at practice?" Lev asked, eyes filled with excitement.

Shiori nodded. "Absolutely. Have a good evening."

Lev and Yaku waved goodbye to her as she left them, heading in the opposite direction. When she rounded the street corner, Lev and Yaku headed for the convenience store while Kenma and Kuro remained at the school's entrance. From the look on his face, Kenma assumed Kuro was debating if he should go after her. He took a step forward, but stopped when Lev shouted their names, asking if they were coming.

Kenma sighed, Lev had the worst timing in every aspect. "We'll catch up! Just go!" He waved the two off. Thankfully, neither one questioned it and continued on to the corner store. Kenma put his game into the side pocket of his bag and nudged Kuro with his elbow. "Go talk to her. Say your sorry and she'll forgive you."

Kuro looked down at Kenma and then rubbed the back of his neck. "I feel like sorry isn't going to cut it."

"Staring at her won't either."

Kuro frowned. "We were friends for so long and for some reason I feel like I'm trying to meet her for the first time."

"She's the same person, you know. I talked to her during lunch today."

"Did you ask her to join the team as a manager?"

"No," Kenma replied, shaking his head. "We didn't even talk about volleyball. We just caught up."

"About?"

"Ask her yourself." Kenma turned on his heels, heading in the direction of the corner store. Lev and Yaku were probably done getting their snacks. When he didn't hear Kuro walking alongside him, Kenma glanced over his shoulder and smiled as Kuro raced after Shiori.


End file.
